Plecos are they edible

[elvispacman]

Are WC plecos edible, like if i caught some fishing could i eat them as long as the water is clean

[mistahoo]

Are WC plecos edible, like if i caught some fishing could i eat them as long as the water is clean

Yeah but if they've been living in our waters, I'd quarantine them for a good while and feed them some good stuff before cooking them.

[elvispacman]

good to know, now how would you recommend preparing them

[Jozle]

o___o
But they're adorable animals....

[mistahoo]

o___o
But they're adorable animals....

[elvispacman]

i had a WC pleco that i caught from that same bayou, murdered the tilapia that murdered my convict

[mistahoo]

Yeah... If you've caught it from our waters, I'd suggest quarantining it in a tank for a good 2-3 months before eating. Add epsom salt as laxatives for the fish to cleanse them of our waters. Feed them well since what they're eating will affect how they'll taste.

I've heard of cooking them on a grill with lemon juice, salt and pepper with some oil brushed on the outside. I forgot what the other recipe was, but Parks and Wildlife gave a recipe for people to entice fishermen to catch invasive armored plecos and eat them.

Here's another recipe:

http://rule-303.blogspot.com/2011/07/eating-plecos.html

[Ogrodii]

Take a pic when cooked

[brandon_rss18]

As my Dad told me one time, "Just because you have a mouth, doesnt mean you should eat it.". Lol but let us know how it taste, Im going to guess like South American food!

[mistahoo]

Take a pic when cooked

Better yet, make a video of the whole cooking process and then the eating part! I'm not bold enough to eat a pleco after having touched one!

[mnemenoi]

Cooked in the shell and crack it open, similar to crawfish...lol

[peter]

Ho !! and dont forget 24 CORONAS OR BUD LIGHTS and ready to go!!!!

[Jozle]

Just don't record yourself killing it. Sorry, I like plecos too much.

[mistahoo]

Some more recipes on cooking pleco. A lot of these aren't too descriptive and I see on almost all of them that they taste like lobster when grilled.

Pleco Curry Stew

Pleco Curry & Dumplings (?)

[mistahoo]

I might try the grilled way someday. I find a lot of recipes that grill them with the shell and all. They all say they taste like lobster. Very interesting... I would think soaking them in a lemon juice, salt, pepper, and beer concoction would make them taste great! Brush the outside with a light coat of olive oil and grill them!